Baffling and separating structure



1,6 7, 72 1927' o. H. ESCHHOLZ 3 ,BAFFLING AND SEPARATING STRUCTURE Filed Feb, 8, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR TNESSESI ga k Wm 0/70 /7. ESChhO/Z,

Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,637,372 hAT-ENT "dFI-ICE.

o'r'ro n. Escmionz, or 'wiixlrnsnniie, rn iinsrrivaniagjassienon T wiis'rinonousn ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYL- VANIA.

nunma Am) 'ss'mmnm grammes Ap nctibn'mearebiuari a, 1923. Serial No. 617,762.

My invention relates to circuit interrupters and more particularly to bafiling and separating devices employed in combination therewith.

b One Object of my invention is to provide a baflling and'se mnn device for afluidinsulatedcircuitinterrupter which separates the expelled liguid from thegaseous mixture byreason oftheir differences in density. Another object of my invention" is' to provide a baflling andseparatinmdevice for oilcuit interrupters which re uces the back pressure exerted within the circuityinterrupter resulting from interference between the escaping arc gases and escaping liquid.

[It is another object of my invention'to provide a balhing and separating device for circuit interrupters indwhich a. body of liq- I'uid preceding a t uantit-y of escaping arc gas, is held suspended by the gas while the latter escapes. I It, is also an object of my ii'ivention'to provide a bafiling and separating device for circuit interrupters in which the tendency to Z atomize the liquid preceding an exp-a l'r'dirig gas is minimised, l g

In bathing and separating chambers for circuit interrupters, as heretofore employed, little attention has been paid to theposition of the openings therein with relation tothe shape and dimension of the several chain- ,bers. As a result, an unnecessarily large amount of liquid is ejected fronraninner chamber of such devices to communicating outer chambers, witlrthe result that an undulylarge amount of the liquid becomes atomized and isblown away by'the escaping gases. Such a condition createsfa backpi-essure which, in turn,

increases the pressure within the circuit interrupter. H i

In my invention, 1' provide a balhinqand separating device cornprisin a central thiamber directly connected to .ilie circuit-interrupter tank and which is in communication with a "plurality of other chambers, The central passageway of my device is designed insuch manner that'the openings provided for the escape of gases' are located in the lower section thereof. By, this design, bodies of liquid which Inayprecede the 'gases into the central chamber pass by these openings and are held suspended by the escaping gases in such nianner that the liquidis not blown through the openings with the "gases.

111 the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view,"partially in elevation and partially in section, of a 'circuitinterr'upter equipped with a baffling and separating device embodying my invention. L

Fig; 2 is a transverse sectional View ofthe bafilingand separating device taken along the line IIII of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of a modified form of a bafiling and separating device.

. '-Fig. 4 is afisectional viewthereof taken along-the line IV-IY of-Fig. 3. J Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectionalview of another form of bafilin'g and separating device.

cFig. 6 is a sectional View thereof'taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. 5. 1

In the several figures of the drawing, similar reference numerals indicate the same parts. l y

In the'preferred embodiment of my invention, a circuit interrupter 1; comprises a cover portion 2, a liquid-filled tank 3 in which is suspende'd a pair of relatively movable contact'inembers 4 and a bafilin'g and separathigdevice 5 that is secu'red'to the cover portion 2.,

The bathing and separating device 5 comprises a centralpassageway 6 directly connected to the- 1 interior of the circuit interrupter 1. A'plura-lityof chambers? and 8 communicate with the passageway 6 through suitable openings in the dividing Walls. As shown in Fig. 2, the several chambers are preferably concentric,"alt hough any other construction of communicating chambers maybe employed.

The wall of'the passageway 6 is provided w1th openings 9 at points in the lower portion thereof, Which are distributed around the entire periphery thereof. Relatively small openings 11 may, if desired, be provided near the upper extremity of thep'assageway 6.

The chambers .4 and 8 are connected by openings 12 which are preferably placed in staggered relation, in'the direction of movement oftheescaping gas, to the openings 9. The lower portions'or theseveral are connected by suitable drainage openings 1%: An ela-. le se at the op of t bathing and separating-device 5, communidates with the atmosphere.

In the operation of the preferred embodiment of my inventiomthe arc gas generated during a separatingmovement of the relatively movable contact members 4 produces an agitation of the liquid in the tank 3, the expandingarc gases driving a'portion ofthe liquid in advance thereof into the passageway 6. As the liquid body is rather heavy it tends, b reason of its momentum, to move longitu inally of the; chamber 6 and cornress Whatever gases may be confined therein so that they escape through the small openings 11. However,a small portion of the liquid itself escapes through these openings in very small quantities. The shape of the assageway 6 is such that the larger mass oi liquid moves by and uncovers the openings 9 through which the are gases may escape into the chamber 7 without blowing t 1e suspended body of liquid ahead of them with an accompanying atomization of the liquid. 7 I By reason of the staggered relation of the openings 9 and 12, the direction of whatever particles of liquid escape throu h the openings 9 into the chamber 7 must e varied before they can reach the chamber 8. As a result, the particles of liquid impinge upon the wall of the chamber 7 and give up their kinetic energy, dropping to the bottom of the chamber 7 from which they return to the tank 3 through the openings 13.

Such suspended particles of liquid as are not separated from the gases in the chamber 7 pass through the openings 12 to the chamher 8 where their vvelocity isfurther checked by a change in their trajectory. When the gases reach the vent 14, theyare comparatively free from suspended particles of oil.

In the form of m invention shown in Fig. 3, a battling an separating device 21 comprises a central passage 22, chambers 23 and 24, a vent 25 and drainage passages 26.

The passageway 22 comprises an extension 27 which extends beyond the termini of the chambers 23 and 25. Openings 28 are located in the passageway 22 at points which correspond tothe outerlimits of the chamber 23. These openings are arranged around the entire periphery of .the chamber 22. Openings 29 permit communication between the chambers 23 and 24. The openings 29 are staggered with the openings 28 in the direction of arc gas flow.

In the operation of this form of battling and separating devices the body of liquid ejected into the passageway 22 is held in the extension 27 by the pressure of the escaping arc gases. The openings 28, bein located at approximately the outer limit 0 the chamber 23, permit of use of substantially the I wholelength of chamber 23 for expansion and separating purposes. The operation of this form of my invention is 'otherwise the same as that described in connection with the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2. v

In the modification of my invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a bafiiing and separating device 41 comprises a central passageway 42 terminating in a reservoir 43, and chamhers 44, 45 and 46. Passages 47, 48 and 49 permit communication between the passages 4244; 44 -45; 45 -46; respectively. Chamber 46 terminates in the vent 51.

In the operation of the circuit interrupter equipped with this form of my invention, a body of liquid projected into the passages way 42 passes into the reservoir 43 from which it drains back into the circuit-interrupter tank. The liquid having been blown into the reservoirs 43, the passage 42 is entirely filled by are gases so that atomization of oil as a result of forcing the gas to escape through a column of liquid is practically eliminated. The 0 eration of this form of my invention is otierwise the same as that already described in connection with the battling and separating devices 5 and 21.

By my invention, I have provided battling and separating devices for circuit interrupters in which a se arating chamber is so designed that the odies of liquid normally preceding) expanding arc gases, are caused to move eyond the vents provided for the escape of the gas. The liquid is held out of communication with these vents during the discharge of the as by the pressure of the gas itself. Accor ingly, there is little atomization of the liquid and there is a corresponding reduction of back pressure in the circuit interrupter and there is a large reduction in the amount of liquid ejected from the entire circuit interrupter as compared with present practice. Various modifications in the system and arrangement and location of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of my invention and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a baflhng and separating structure, a passageway communicating with a liquidcontaining chamber, a plurality of separating chambers communicating with openings in said passageway, said openings being so located in said passagewa ,that liquid thrown into said passa eway y an expandmg gas tends to move eyond said connecting openings without opposing the escape of the propelling gas through said openings.

2. In a separating structure, a passa eway communicating with a pressure cham er, a second chamber communicating with openings in said passageway, the openings in said passageway being so disposed that liquid driven into the passageway by a gaseous mixture is suspended in the passageway and the gas permitted to escape from beneath the suspended liquid.

3. In a separatin structure, a passageway without atomization during the escape of the communicatlng wit a pressure chamber, a gas. second chamber communicating with open- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 1 ings in said passageway, the openings in subscribed my name this first day of Februsaid passageway being so disposed that liqary 1923. uid driven into the passageway by a gaseous mixture is suspended in the passageway OTTO H. ESCHHOLZ. 

